Elsie jumped up on Elliott’s shoulder, bounced up and down twice, then leapt across the gap between him and Lyla. The young woman’s eyes snapped shut as she flinched, expecting the worst. She needn’t have been concerned. Elsie grabbed on to Lyla’s shoulder and scrambled up, before walking closer to her face. The young woman opened her eyes to see Elsie perched to the side of her neck, stroking the back of her head before sitting down on her shoulder. Elsie looked at Elliott with a huge smile and a thumbs up, using her other hand to gently pat Lyla’s cheek.

  Elliott refrained from showing any emotion, though his eyes narrowed for the briefest moment. He loved his sister dearly, but she still had so much of that trusting, loving child in her that had made her the way she was. She was always willing to give people a second chance, without a moment’s consideration to whether it was the right thing to do. If they wanted to join them, it was good enough for Elsie. Sure, if they were an active threat, Elsie was quick to remove the threat, but she’d never quite learned that allies could be deadlier.

  Elliott studied the young woman in front of him – her pale face and straight, black hair cut shy of her shoulders. Black eyes with short eyelashes. A slim jaw with narrow cheeks. There was nothing about her looks that stood out. She wasn’t ugly by any means, but nor was she outlandishly pretty. Perhaps a little above plain, but he could see how she would draw little attention. Perfect for espionage.

  And she was part of an elite team in the Bizayn Empire’s forces. Her information might prove to be very useful, especially for what he was beginning to plan. She’d demonstrated composure under pressure and though her squad had proven no match for him or Elsie – and they wouldn’t have matched Isabel either – there was no shame in that. Very few could, if any.

  The problem he had was that unlike Rose, Lyla was actually a threat. Could she be trusted or was she just waiting for an opportunity to complete her mission? Or to gather as much information as she could before returning to the Empire?

  Elsie was still smiling at him. She’d clearly made up her mind. Elliott held in a sigh.

  “Why?” Elliott asked.

  Lyla looked beyond Elliott at the remains of her colleagues and took a moment before she answered.

  “I have no place here now. I’ll be executed if I return.”

  “But you have your freedom. You can go anywhere you choose.”

  “And spend the rest of my life looking over my shoulder? Do you think they would let me live?”

  “I’m sure a girl of your talents would know how to stay hidden. Why would you want to join me?”

  She went quiet again, her eyes fixed on Elliott’s.

  “You gave me a choice. Nobody ever gave me a choice before.”

  Elliott leaned back in his chair, sweeping his eyes over Lyla’s armour, the two daggers at her waist and the two empty sheathes.

  “How old are you?”

  “Twenty-seven.”

  “How long have you been training?”

  “All my life.”

  Elliott frowned at that. Twenty-seven years she’d spent being shaped into a weapon. That in itself wasn’t the most concerning part. From his conversation with Korin earlier, the Bizayn Empire only rose up a decade ago. Why would there be such programs in place? How long had this been planned?

  “How long has the Bizayn Emperor been in power?”

  Lyla blinked at the change in subject. She looked up as she was thinking.

  “Fifteen years, maybe? Somewhere around that.”

  “And the invasion began ten years ago?”

  She nodded.

  “But you’ve been trained since birth?”

  “Yes,” Lyla said, leaning forward in her chair. Shadows from Elliott’s flame danced across her face. He could see she’d understood what he was getting at. On her shoulder, Elsie also leaned in, eyes open wide, hands clasped together as she mimicked Lyla.

  “This life is all I’ve ever known from long before the Bizayn Empire existed,” Lyla said, confirming what he was thinking.

  “Was this a Rhianian program then? Creating spies from orphans?”

  “I don’t know. I was never told about my parents or what happened to them or how I ended up in that school.” Elliott noticed Lyla quickly glancing at the ground, as if thinking on something.

  “What was your training?” Elliott asked, bringing her attention back to him.

  She blinked a couple of times before answering. “I was raised in a school with other children. We were educated, clothed, fed and trained for combat. At the age of five, we were split into two groups. Those who could use magic and those who couldn’t. When I turned eleven, I was sent to an academy. At eighteen, I graduated into the Shadows. I moved up the ranks, until I was deemed good enough to join the delta squad,” she recited it like she was giving him a report, her voice flat and uninterested. Like these were just things that happened to her.

  The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

  “Graduated into the Shadows?”

  “Yes. When we graduated, we were placed into one of the three elite arms. They placed me into the Shadows. Others got put into the Blackguards or the Wardens.”

  Elliott nodded to himself. So, children – orphans or otherwise – trained from a young age into elite killers.

  “Do you know where you were trained? As a child?”

  “Far to the west of the Empire.”

  He nodded at her as he watched Elsie tug playfully on Lyla’s hair. Lyla looked over at his sister and smiled. She could prove to be valuable.

  “What are you hoping for in joining me?” Elliott asked after a moment. Lyla turned back to him. “There’s a good possibility that I help Prince Aldric take back his throne. You said you weren’t a traitor but joining me would mean betraying your Empire.”

  She thought about it a moment before answering. “Perhaps I should have said I won’t betray my people to save my life. But you gave me a choice, and I chose to give you information. Now, I’m choosing to follow you, if you’ll have me.”

  “It still doesn’t answer why. I offered you freedom. You gave me information. I’m still offering you freedom. You’re now wanting to come with me. It makes me think that I might wake up with a blade between my shoulders.”

  Elsie’s eyes widened as she held both hands over her lips.

  Lyla took a moment again, leaning back, hands nervously rubbing her knees.

  “All my life, I’ve been trained to kill for a cause that isn’t my own. I’ve been told where to go and who to kill. Maybe being with you can help me figure out who I really am. Who I’m meant to be. Who I was.”

  “You understand that being with me may not be that different to the life you’re used to. Is that worth it when I’m offering you freedom?”

  “There would be a big difference,” Lyla said, meeting his eyes. “It would be my choice.”

  He wasn’t convinced. He had no way to verify her information, but if it was as she said, she was literally designed to be a spy. Taught to manipulate her way into someone’s trust.

  Elsie looked at him from Lyla’s shoulder, eyes wide, a smile on her lips. She held one tiny hand in the other and raised them towards him like she was praying to him. He sighed.

  Well, what was life without a little excitement?

  “You’ve seen a little of how I operate. Threats are dealt with. Betraying me is about the worst thing you could do. You’ll need to earn your place with us.”

  Behind him, he sensed Isabel returning. Elsie quickly climbed down from Lyla’s shoulder and hopped over to Elliott’s waist, clipping herself to his belt. She smiled at Lyla and held a finger to her lips before closing her eyes and returning to looking like nothing more than a cute, stitched doll that Elliott carried around.

  “I will earn your trust,” Lyla said. She’d get the opportunity quicker than she might expect.

  “After we’re done here, I’ll have a job for you. It may cost you your life.”

  Lyla nodded without hesitation, her eyes on his. Behind him, muffled footsteps and muted voices announced the arrival of Isabel, Rose and Korin. Behind them, Taalan walked with his four guards and the two generals. They skirted around the pool of remains and the three bodies as they approached.

  Isabel came and stood to his right side, Rose and Korin beside her. Taalan and his men – and one woman – stood to the left a little, their eyes on Lyla, before Taalan turned to Elliott.

  “Who is she?” Taalan asked.

  “Her name’s Lyla,” Elliott replied with a smile. “She’s an assassin. She came to kill you.”

  Daveran and the other three guards behind Taalan drew their blades, like they had a hope of protecting Taalan if Lyla wanted to attack.

  “She’s a Shadow,” Ibonek declared, stepping forward, hand on the hilt of the sword at his waist. “Is there a reason why she’s still breathing when it looks like the rest of her squad is…scattered over there.”

  “We were just having a chat. She gave me valuable information.”

  “She’s a spy,” Ibonek replied. “She’s an enemy of the Kingdom.” He looked to Taalan. “Your Majesty, she must be executed. Immediately.”

  From the corner of his eyes, Elliott could see that Lyla kept her eyes on him. Unmoving. Unconcerned.

  Taalan studied Lyla as he spoke. “Maybe she has information that we can use.”

  “She’s too dangerous to be kept alive, Your Highness,” Ibonek replied.

  “But we should try to interrogate her?”

  “She’s a spy. She’s trained. She won’t talk.”

  Taalan looked thoughtful, considering Ibonek’s words.

  “We need to execute her immediately,” Ibonek pressed the issue. “She’s a threat to the Kingdom.”

  “What Kingdom?” Elliott asked.

  They all turned to him.

  “What Kingdom?” he asked again, holding his hands out. “You have no lands. You barely have people. What Kingdom? Right now, you’re nothing more than common bandits.” He paused, eyes moving between each of them. “You have no authority to execute anyone.”

  “She’s our enemy,” Ibonek said. Thessa had her eyes on Lyla.

  “Elliott,” Taalan said. “She is our enemy. If you had an enemy, would you let them live?”

  “Of course not,” Elliott replied. He looked at Lyla who had her eyes on him the entire time. He smiled at her. “I tell you what – why don’t you execute her?”

  He stood up from his chair and moved, Isabel, Rose and Korin following behind him as they stepped a few metres away from the rest. He turned back to Taalan and his men.

  “Execute away. We’ll wait.”

  The generals and the guards looked at him, then between themselves. One of the guards – the one with the scar on his face took a half-step toward Lyla. She didn’t move. Didn’t even glance his way as she continued looking ahead at the empty chair Elliott had vacated. Taalan stood there, eyes fixed on Elliott throughout. Elliott smiled.

  “What’s the matter? Go ahead, she’s right there. Look, she’s not even resisting.”

  A look passed between the two generals and Taalan, frustration in their eyes. They understood what was being demonstrated. Words were empty. So were titles. And names. And hierarchy. All of them together lacked the ability to do anything to Lyla, without Elliott helping. Just as they lacked the ability to take back their lands without him.

  Taalan raised his hand. Ibonek’s jaw tightened as he slowly released the hilt of his sword. The guard with the scar stepped back, sheathing his own. The other three followed his lead. Thessa stood next to Taalan, eyes on Elliott, her lips pressed together.

  “I guess you’ve changed your minds?” Elliott smiled at them all. Taalan’s fingers curled into fists at his side. The young prince was learning a harsh lesson. Blood and Crowns, House and Titles meant nothing without the power to enforce them.

  “I’m glad to see we’re all going to get along. Now, I want to make something clear to you. Although I very much doubt you could do anything to her, Lyla is under my protection.” Isabel glanced at him as she shuffled her feet. He might’ve even heard a quiet sigh. “If anything happens to her while we’re with you…well…” He left it unsaid. They got the gist of it.

  “Is this how this is going to work?” Ibonek asked. “You help us and rule over us instead?”

  “Of course not,” Elliott replied. “Can you imagine the admin?” He rolled his eyes. “No, I just do what I do and prefer to be left alone to it. But I especially take offence if someone tries to attack my people. I’m sure you understand, Taalan.”

  “I understand. I just want to protect my people as well, but Ibonek raises a good point. I don’t plan on being a pawn for you and whatever it is you want to do.”

  “I haven’t quite decided what I want to do. Right now, I will help you and your people get to safety. I suggest you bring everyone that you want to save here. You and I will then go and see your aunt. Then I’ll portal you all away.

  “Before that though, Taalan. You’ve been keeping secrets from me.”

  “Secrets?” Taalan frowned at him.

  “What’s in the dungeon?”

  Taalan’s eyes flickered as he licked his lips.